Centrifugal liquid-machine.



B. R. WRIGHT.

CENT'RIFUGAI. LIQUID MACHINE. APPLICATION -FILED 05c. 15. 1913.

1,277,676. Patented Sept 1918.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 1- 1w JZ W/T/VESSES I I I llVVE/VTO/I.

72. Q. M By WWI/W B. R. WRIGHT.

Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' WITNESSES BERT ROBERT WRIGHT, or POUGHKEEP$IE, N Y RK, AssicnoR To TnEnE 'LAVAL sErARAToR COMPANY, or NEw Yo K, N. Y., A coRroRA Ion on NEW JERSEY.

' cEN IEUGAL LIQUID-MACHINE."

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 3, 1918.

Original application filed October 12, 1911, Serial No. 654,222. Divided and this application filed- December 15, 1913. Serial N0. 806,793.

To all whom it mag concern.

Be it known that I, BERT R. WRIGHT, a

- citizen of the United States, residing at and Whose post-ofiice address is Poughkeep- 'sie,county of Dutchess, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful 1m,- 'provements in- Centrifugal Liquid-'Machines-,and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to machines for centrifugalizing liquids. It embodies certain features of, improvement, hereinafter de-- scribed, which are applicable to such machines, generally, but it is particularly appropriate to centrifugal machines for clarifying liquids,,especially (for clarifying liquids comprising liquid constitutents of ditferentspecific. gravities, as, for instance,

milk.

In its general aspect, the centrifugal-imachine embodying my improvements comprises abowl providedgwith means for rotating it about its -axis,; sa id bowl having a central receiving passage for the milk or other liquid to" be'centrifugaliz edl In this passage is v placed a ,screw conveyer which greatly 'increasesthe amount of liquid which may be received into andpass through a bowl of a given size at a given speed of rotation. The liquid flows from the receiving a passage through a transmitting passage or r peripheryof the bowl.

passages extending outwardlyv toward the Preferably, though not' 'necessarily, the transmitting passage or passages are sub-. stantially tangential to the receiving 'passage from which they convey the liquid as the flow is facilitated bysuch a construction. So also, when the machine is to be used asa milk clarifier, the transmitting passage or passages are narrow or con tracted, so that the velocity of the liquld will'be sulficient to avoidclogging and to avoid separation of the liquid-while passing;

therethrough. M

Particularly, the transmitting passage or passages are provided intermediate of their 1 length, with vents, for the escape of air or gases which would otherwise tend to retard the flow of the liquid therethrough. The

bowl is preferably provided with a. liner connection f. l From th lower end of the receiving formed of superimposed inclined plates, and

an. ample clarifying space is'provided between said liner and the periphery of the, bowl, so as to provide for the. removal of solid impurities without interfering with the passageo'f the liquid through the ap .p'aratusr Y When the machine is used as a milk clarifier, the milk passes throughthe bowl withtherethrougli. Anydirt, or other objectionable inherent-or foreign substances which i are commonly found in milk, are removed in the peripheral clarifying compartment,

and the final product is practically devoid of solid impurities and other objectionable? matter, and shows a substantial reduction in bacterial content anda diminished tendency to bacterial development, particularly;

of harmful character. I

Asamilk clarifier, therefore,the machine .efle'ctsi clarification of milk without separation of the lighter and the heavier fluid parts of the whole milk. In fact, the lighter and the heavier fluid parts of the whole milk v always move in o'ne direction, through the apparatus, whatever that direction may be, "land are so controlled as to afi'ordno opportunity fordivision or separation, while, at

the same time, the whole milk is subjected to the maximum 'fying force.

-In the accompanying drawings,'

degree of centrifugal clari Figure 1 represents a sectional view taken on the line'l 1'of'Fig. 2,, of a centrifugal machine embodying my invention. 4

'Fig.'-2-represents a section 'on the ,line- 95-2 of Fig. 1.

. c a Similar letters of reference indicate similar 'parts'in both views Referring to the vdrawings, a isa bowl having-a raised, bottom I) and hollowstem on the rotatory spindle, d the-receiving passage, and e; is a screw-conveyer se--.

cured to the hollow stem 7) by a slot and pin passage d extend the transmitting passages ;g which are preferably tangential. These plates h.

milk passing through them-to avoid .separation therein of the butter-fat globules from the other parts of the milk. This is of particular importance, inasmuch, as has been hereinbefore pointed out, one of the purposes 'of the machine, when used as a milk clarifier, is to avoid separation of the heavier and lighter liquid constituents of. the milk and to deliver-the milk from the bowl, in a clarified condition, and wlthout any material change in the distribution of its liquid constituents; so that, when subsequently bottled, the cream will rise to the surface in the same manner as it does in the case of milk that has not been centrifugalized, that is to say, without showing a sharp and distinct line of separation between the cream layer and the main body portion of the milk below. j V

Within the bowl is contained the usual liner consisting of a series of frusto-conical i is the discharge outlet, and 'j is a vent or vents to allow the escape of air "or gas from the passages 9.

The liquid tobe clarified and purified is fed into the receiving tube 01, through which its passage is accelerated by the conveyer e. Thence it flows through the passages g toward the periphery of the .bowl and is subjected to the action of centrifu al force in the clarifying compartment 0 the bowl, The solid, heavier, foreign and objectionable matter is deposited on the'peripheral wall of the bowl, and the clarified liquid passes in thin sheets between the plate and thenceto the outlet 71, from which it is discharged.

fliquid through the bowl and particularly through the restricted passages leading from the central receiving tube or passage outwardly. In subserving this purpose, the screw-conveyer exercises a propelling function, and the venting of the air or gas removes adisturbing source of retardation and irregularity; forwhich reasons themeans described are useful and applicable wherever their functions are similarly desirable inthe centrifugalizing of liquids,

whether or not the machine in which they are to be embodied serves likewise as a clarifier which avoids separation of liquid constituents of different specific gravities. The method of eifectin out separation is not. ependent upon the use either of a screw-conveyer or of ventspace between the stem and the reception clarification with ing means for the transmitting passages leading toward the periphery of the bowl,

and, although likewlse' carried out in the apparatus herein described when used as. a milk clarifier, is claimed, generically in my Patent No. 1,122,457, dated Dec. 29, 1914, together with the generic features of construction which are present in the apparatus for putting said method into practice.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is: 1 1. In a centrifugal liquid machine, in combination, a revoluble bowl, a receiving passage within the bowl, a stem within and spaced from the inner wall of the receiving passage, and a screw conveyer within the annular space between the stem and the receiving passage; substantially as described.

2. In a centrifugal liquid machine, in combination, a revoluble bowl, an upright reception tube arrangedcentrally of the bowl, a stem projecting upwardly within and spaced from the inner wall of the reception tube, a screw conveyer within the annular tube, and a passage or passages leading from the reception tube to theinterior of the bowl surrounding the reception tube; substantially as described. I

3. In a centrifugal liquid machine, in combination, a revoluble bowl, a receiving passage within the bowl, and a conveyer within said-passage to accelerate the reception of the liquid to be acted upon and its passage through the bowl,'there being an air vent communicating with the receiving passage; substantially as described.

4. In a centrifugal liquid machine, in com-Q bination, a revoluble'bowl, a receiving passage within the bowl, and aduct or ducts communicating with saidreceiving passage and lying within the radius of the discharge from the bowl to relieve the flowof the liquid being acted upon from resistance caused by accumulation of air orgas; sub I stantially as described.

5. In a centrifugal liquid machine, in combination,-a revoluble bowl provided with receiving and transmission passages for the liquid acted upon, and vents lying within .115

the radius of the discharge from the bowl for the escape of air or gases tending to retard the flow of the liquid through said pas sages; substantially as described.

6. In a centrifugal liquid machine, in com bination, a revolu'ble bowl provided with a receiving passage to receive the incoming liquid, a transmission passage or passages to convey the liquid into the interior of the bowl, and vents from the transmission pas- 1 25 sage or passages for the escape of air or gasestending .to retard the flow of the liquid, said vents lying within the radius of the discharge from the bowl; substantially as described.

7. In a centrifugal liquid machine, in combination, a revoluble bowl, an upright reception tube arranged centrally of the bowl and,

' liquid to be acted upon and its passage through the bowl, a contracted passage or passages extending tangentially from the receiving passage toward the periphery of the bowl, and means for relieving the liquid flow in said passage or passages from resistanceof air or gas; substantially as described.

'9. In a centrifugal'liquid machine,in com-' bination, a re oluble bowl having a bottom upraised in its centralportioma reception tube arranged centrally of the bowl and extending up from the upraised central portion of the bowl bottom, a hollow stem projecting upward within the lower part (if the reception tube, to the outer wall of said stem, the enlarged lower part of the reception tube having passages connecting the reception tube with the interior of the bowl and vents extending upward from the passages; substantially as described.

and a screw conveyer secured.

In testimony whereof I affix-my signature,

in presence of two witnesses.

BERT ROBERT WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

. WM. A. HUBBA D,"

CHARLES L; PowEnL. 

